The Dragon's Refuge
by Casa Circe
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK 2016, Day One: Dragons. Katara makes a new friend when she nurses an injured dragon back to health. But there is much more to him than she knows.


**ZUTARA WEEK 2016, Day 1: DRAGONS**

 _ **The Dragon's Refuge**_

 **DISCLAIMER:** _Avatar: the Last Airbender_ belong to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.

 **NOTE:**

It's that time of year again! Zutara Week is here and what an exciting time it is. The prompts are particularly interesting this year and this one was by far my favorite. There were so many possibilities but I chose this one and it has a very fairy tale vibe to it that still kind of fits with the Avatarverse, I think. This short story is set before the series begins.

There were so many possibilities but I went with this one and I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

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A very few people in the world could boast that they were friends with a dragon. And among them, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe was the first waterbender.

As all fascinating situations tend to do, this came about by accident. The young girl had been wandering around a remote part of the South Pole, trying to find a good place to practice her bending. She stumbled upon a cave that had been blocked by snow and ice, and heard sounds coming from within, the cries of some wounded creature.

She cleared the snow and to her surprise, found an injured red dragon. She stared at it incredulously, having only heard of dragons in stories and legends her grandmother had told her and her brother. And yet, there was no mistaking it.

While an impressive creature, with large claws and wings, the dragon was in a sad state, its body pierced by arrows and broken spears. And despite its being the bigger of them both, it was the dragon who looked more frightened by the waterbender, no doubt thinking a new attacker had found him and intended him harm.

Moved with pity, Katara approached the dragon gently and spoke to him in soothing tones.

"You don't have to be afraid," she said, "I can help you."

The dragon backed away a few steps but was too weak to fight back. Katara managed to approach it carefully and to show her good intentions, she placed a hand on one of its wounds. The dragon flinched slightly but watched curiously as the girl placed some water on the wound and the water began to glow.

At length, the waterbender had tended to all the dragon's injuries and in so doing, won its trust. She was exhausted but also glad to have been able to make a new and unique friend.

"Where are you going now?" she asked, since she got the sense that the dragon could understand her words.

The creature shook its head sadly and made a gesture that could have almost been a shrug. Katara considered this for a few minutes.

"If it's all right with you," she proposed, "you can come home with me."

The dragon's eyes widened at this but it looked significantly more cheerful.

"Just promise not to burn anything or to hurt anyone," Katara warned sternly.

The dragon eagerly nodded, and Katara knew that they had come to a proper agreement. She trusted her instincts and they told her that this creature, although imposing and powerful, could be relied upon to keep his word.

"What shall I call you?" Katara asked.

The dragon made several loud noises, as if trying to tell her his true name. But she could not make anything out. So she decided to give him a name of her own, at least until she could figure out who he really was.

"How does Kazuki sound to you?" she asked with a smile, "Kazu, for short?"

The dragon did not seem to protest and so that's what Katara ended up calling her new friend.

Her return to her village, atop the great dragon, made quite a sight. Her people were frightened at first and it took some convincing before they could be at ease with her new companion. Her brother was particularly suspicious (and a tad jealous that his sister got to have such a grand adventure.)

But eventually, the Southern Water Tribe grew accustomed to the presence of the dragon in their village, and they even soon enjoyed having him around. Kazu was determined to be of use to Katara and her people so he would help them build fires or transport heavy things. Every now and then, he would even give the children a ride, but always under Katara's supervision.

It was a unique situation but one that they all appreciated. They felt safer with Kazu around and it was clear that he was loyal to Katara. They all knew that he would protect them from anyone who would bring them harm, and this was a great comfort to them all, especially in those times of war.

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This was his father's curse.

Prince Zuko had angered Fire Lord Ozai by speaking out of turn during a military meeting, and to punish his son, the Fire Lord not only burned his face during an Agni Kai, but also cursed him to take the form of a dragon for the rest of his days. The only person who could free him from his curse was the Avatar, and since the latter had not been seen or heard from for a hundred years, the curse might as well have been permanent.

In a different time, being a dragon would have been a great honor. After all, they were the first firebenders, who passed their wisdom and abilities to the people they deemed worthy. But Zuko's forefathers had encouraged the hunting of dragons for sport and so his curse had made him into one of the most sought-after targets of his own people. There was no way to distinguish him from other dragons and their numbers had grown so scarce because of the constant hunting that he was unable to find any group of dragons to join.

As soon as he was transformed, he immediately had to flee all the hunters who were eager for the glory of slaying their first dragon. His sister, Azula, in particular, was determined to be the one to bring him down.

So he fled and fought back as best as he could, and even though his firebending skills were amplified by his larger size and ability to fly, he found that he was no match to all the dragon slayers who never left him alone.

Zuko fled as far from the Fire Nation as he could, all the time with the hunters on his trail. Several times they managed to corner him and several times he managed to escape, but never unscathed. He grew weaker and weaker and soon was convinced that the end of his road was near.

But he was determined not to show defeat to his pursuers and so flew further and further away, despite his many injuries, and soon, even the hunters decided it would not be worth it to follow him, since he was already close to death. Azula would have followed through but her father had ordered her to return so that she could learn the duties of the heir to the throne, and she decided that her brother was a lost cause.

The bloodied and beaten dragon finally managed to crawl into a small cave in the far reaches of the South Pole, where he believed he had come to die. Soon the cave entrance was covered with snow and ice. He had made his peace with this truth, only relieved that he had not been captured by any of the vicious hunters. He had begun to succumb to his wounds when the snow melted, and his hope was renewed.

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The girl and her dragon were inseparable, flying around the South Pole and exploring different areas, keeping each other safe whenever they were in sketchy situations, and generally enjoying each other's company. Katara spoke to him constantly, convinced that he understood her every word, and so they managed to communicate to each other fairly effectively. The dragon would respond in his own way but Katara often wished that there was some way for her to hear his words. There was so much she wanted to know about him: where had he come from? how did he find his way to the South Pole? who had hurt him? why did he stay?

He had become a dear friend to her and her heart was full when she was with him. So deeply did she feel for him that she sometimes wished that he was human, not knowing that he wished the same thing.

"You're the only firebender I can trust, Kazu," Katara had told him, "all the human firebenders have brought only pain and suffering, even to you."

She looked at the dragon and saw a deep sadness in his eyes, and she was certain he understood. But he was not sad for the reasons she thought.

Zuko was eternally grateful to the waterbender for saving his life and welcoming him into her home. She had given him a second chance, a new purpose, and a new family. He was fiercely loyal to her and would do anything for her and for her people. They had shown him more kindness in the months that he had lived with them than his own people had shown him his entire life.

And while he had grown to accept his fate as Kazu the dragon, he still hoped that the curse would be broken. He had grown to care deeply about Katara, and he wished that she could see his true self. But he also worried that if she knew the truth, she would send him away. Nevertheless, it was not enough that she only saw him as a dragon. He would rather face a painful truth than have them go on this way.

And though he knew the chances of finding the Avatar were slim, Zuko was determined to try.


End file.
